It’s been a busy and productive year for Gillispie’s educational technology program.
For example, just this week four first graders presented independently researched multimedia reports on topics of their own choosing, including coral reef habitats, apes, submarines, and snakes. In front of a packed house of students, teachers, administrators, and parents, Alex P., Madeline L., Maxfield P., and Ben B. orally presented custom research slide decks they had created using the program KidPix.
In Grades K-4, students have used technology to learn about continents, share poetry, and take virtual field trips:
• Kindergarten children accessed video to support their Captain Cook projects
• Grade 1 classrooms “visited” Antarctica research stations and discussed how people survive in such extreme environments
• Grade 2 students worked in teams to research European geography and demographics before presenting their findings to students and parents at their “Taste of Europe”
• Grade 3 classrooms used Keynote to communicate their poetry
• Grade 4 students “visited” South America using Google Earth.
• Grade 5 researchers viewed the Declaration of Independence and other primary source historical documents on their iPads, and Grade 6 students explored the rights and responsibilities of digital citizenship.
Every Tuesday morning, teachers receive a weekly Tech Tip to help them expand their teaching toolboxes and hone their professional skills. In addition, teachers have taken on the role of students during on-site workshops (e.g., the best online cultural and arts resources) and regional conferences (Computer Using Educators in Palm Springs). Such role reversal emphasizes the Gillispie lesson that life-long learners are the best life-long teachers.
About The Gillispie School
The Gillispie School is an independent, coeducational day school located in downtown La Jolla enrolling students from age two through Grade Six. The Gillispie School’s mission is to provide educational excellence while serving as a springboard for children’s love of learning, creativity, and readiness for the future. To learn more, visit www.gillispie.org.
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